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The 3rd Battle For Moscow
News reports from Russia indicate aircraft repeatedly entering Moscow airspace. Reports on the scene have identified them not as Decepticons, but rather an EDC Talon and the Autobot Jetfire. Moscow Moscow is situated on the banks of the Moskva River, which flows for just over 500 km through western Russia, in the centre of the East-European plain. It has 49 bridges which cross the Moskva River and its canals within city limits. Moscow's road system is centered roughly around the heart of the city, the Moscow Kremlin. From there, the roads in general radiate out to intersect with a sequence of circular roads or 'rings' focused at the Kremlin. Moscow's architecture and performing arts culture are world-renowned. Moscow is also well known as the site of Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Seven Sisters. Even with the presence of such beautiful older architecture, Moscow's skyline is distinctly modern with towers and skyscrapers mingling with the spires of the cathedrals. Temperatures can vary greatly from the summer to the winter months. Winters are long and cold, often spanning 5 months of the year with below zero temperatures. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet circles slowly over the area, taking scans and pictures of any changes made recently in Moscow. Autobot Shuttle descends carefully from the skies, following Jetfire. Naturally, he's unhappy to be here, but hey, Jetfire's his boss. It's that whole 'army' thing. Jetfire is....a very hard 'bot to follow.....unless you're doing some hard slipstreaming with him. Slowing himself to just under Mach 1, he spots the Exo-jet and starts to circle. <> He radios. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet pulls into a loose formation with Jetfire, flying beside but keeping plenty of distance for now. He radios back, << I suppose you could say that, Jetfire. Althought it feels like I've been here for a lifetime. Especially with this Russian war.>> Autobot Shuttle is... capable of faster speeds than are really safe in planetary atmosphere and, while he may not be able to match Jetfire's agility, he doesn't really have to if he keeps sufficient distance. <> Ranger transmits to the EDC pilot keeping pace with them. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet wags it's wings slightly in response. <> Inside, the pilot, James, looks over a small side display on his HUD. It shows a line diagram of Ranger, in robot mode and in altmode, with a few parts highlighted. Underneat Ranger's name and a few brief descriptive details blink. From the Apollo's transmitter activates again. << I haven't seen any Decepticon activity from Moscow yet, but I don't want to risk getting any lower.>> Jetfire slows to a cruising speed next to the Exo-Jets. <> Autobot Shuttle would have no idea why Bailey would need info on him, even if he knew that Bailey /had/ information on him, he's one of the good guys! He's also fairly ignorant of military stuff. <> The Decepticon occupation of Moscow has, from the outside looking in, not appeared to be terribly destructive. The obvious reconfiguration done by the Constructicons lays at the heart of the city, where a six story office building has been remade into a Decepticon Barrack for the troops stationed here. Any additional changes, and judging from the rumours there are definitely additional changes, appear to be hidden. Russians are able to go about their business with limited delay, though everyone is careful to shut up and avoid areas where Decepticons seem to be hanging out. Various Seeker sentry patrols flit about Moscow's airspace, reporting in on any signs of sentient vehicles or EDC armour. Shockwave is currently taking a walk around the area, inspecting Scrapper's work on the defense, keeping an optic open for any shoddy craftsmanship. Yeah nerds check out each other's work it's part of the game. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet banks slightly, pulling away from the Autobot flyers for a bit but still heading in the same circling pattern over the city. At the speeds they're all flying, they circle the city outskirts roughly once every two minutes. << I'd say we're somewhere in the middle, Ranger...kind of a recon with force. If we get in over our heads, we should be able to withdraw without too much problem. But with all of the Decepticon activity in other regions, EDC command is wondering how much strength they can still have concentrated here.>> Once again, the sleek white jet-mode of Snapdragon soars above the Russian landscape. His engines scream as he barrels along in excess of mach 3, his large ramjet engines actually providing more fuel efficiency as his speed increases. While not known for obeying orders, intercepting some hapless heroes isn't exactly a chore. With the idiotic banter on the radio earlier in the way with one Mr. Briar, Snapdragon is itching to chew on some tin-plated EDC. Marissa Faireborn grips the Talon's flight stick as it slices back towards Bailey and the pair of Autobot spacecraft. The Colonel hasn't had much of a chance to use the Talon in an actual mission, and so has given up the Wing Commander position for this patrol to James. Marissa had, for several minutes, broken formation to check up on a quick blip that the jet's radar had picked up. "Negative on the bogey sighting," she reports. Hidden behind the flight helmet with the world reflected out from the helmet's mirrored visor, the fighter falls back onto Bailey's right wing. "Probably just a sensor shadow. Any sighting of the Decepticon sentries yet?" she asks. Jetfire seems to slide back and forth in a sort of dance. << I'd be glad to work with you guys on faster engines, if you don't mind my tinkering. I'll do my.....>> And his radio goes silent for a second. << I'm detecting at least two....one walking around below and.....the other one is in the air....because of a sonic boom that I just registered.>> He radios to everyone. He says pulling up and banking towards his right. << I'm gonna check the sonic boom out.>> Autobot Shuttle is by no measures recognisable as an Earthen vessel. And the large Autobot symbols on his hull prevent him from having his allegiance mistaken. <> Ranger replies, <> His attention drifts to the city below him, and something of a frown creeps into his voice. <> So much for peaceful. At some point during the inspection the tall purple cyclops stops in his tracks as he receives a radio message from radar ops about bogeys in the Moscow airspace. He keys his own radio sending out instructions and takes off along the vector indicated by the radar operator. Snapdragon continues to cruise along, compressed air being forced through his large ramjets by the conical protrusions at the front, and exiting his afterburners at a heat that would melt many lesser aircraft. His long-range sensors pick up a few targets, which is confirmed by Shockwave's messege. He angles his trajectory, and rushes towards the location. The Constructicons' malicious genius might quickly become apparent to the Autobots flying circles over Moscow. Unknown to anyone but those with the sharpest of sensors, an innocent looking mailbox on a street corner near the outskirts of the city suddenly transforms into a double missile launcher. Citizens scatter. A car horn goes off. The angle for aiming at high flying targets is not good with the surrounding buildings, but it manages. Swiveling around and locking onto the first large Autobot it finds - Ranger - the launcher aims skyward, tracking and following the Autobot shuttle mech's movements. There's a soft beeping sound as a lock is achieved. If Ranger has missile lock warning klaxons, they'll be going off now. In rapid succession, both missiles fire, streaking upwards in an intercept course for Ranger. Both leave behind a thick plume of smoke, giving away the origin of the attack. So much for peaceful indeed. James Bailey checks his own sensors quickly, then flicks on his own radio. <> He watches a small side-display identify Snapdragon. "Crap." He says out loud in the cockpit, not over the radio. Then the display blinks again, identifiying Shockwave. "Jeez...I must have done something wrong in a past life." Finally he thumbs on his radio again. <> He twitches his controls, setting his fighter on a few basic evasive maneuvers even though he's not the target of an attack yet. If Snapdragon has any sort of basic radar....he'll be getting a pretty fast moving blip coming straight for him. And sure enough.....it's in the form of a red and white blur as he approaches Moscow. That's right, it's Jetfire, the Magnificent bastard, and he JUST BUZZED the tower!....so to speak. Some days it's just not worth leaving the recharging berths. Ranger was already unhappy about things before his sensors started screaming at him, which they start to do once the missile targeting system locks on. Of course, there are some things you don't hang around to argue about, so Ranger immediately banks directly upwards, engines roaring, as he attempts to break the missile lock. << I HATE this stuff!>> The Decepticon Interceptor, Snapdragon, careens along. His recent trajectory changes are sending him in a b-line straight towards the incoming blip, whom upon closer inspection, appears to be Jetfire. The craft, which heavily resembles a white sr-71, slows his momentum to give himself a chance to get a weapons lock on the white and red Autobot. He unleashes a barrage of sparkly purple lasers in Jetfire's direction, before veering away, preparing to come around for another attack. Snapdragon strikes Jetfire with laser. Faireborn's computer link-up with James's modified Talon's, and Marissa views the side profile image of Snapdragon. It flashes, and now shows the familiar profile view of Shockwave. Marissa is about to comment on this when Bailey suddenly shouts break. She neither questions it nor tries to figure out what has him spooked. Acting on instinct that's been ground into her through years of training, Marissa pulls back on the flight stick and shifts it slightly to the side, and her Talon responds by angling and pulling away from the pair of missiles that are now streaking up at the high flying Autobots and jet fighters. Marissa's breathing becomes shallow as she resists the intense G-forces behind the sudden sharp turn. Pulling out of it, she straightens up and gets a good look at both projectiles soaring after Ranger. "On you, Ranger!" she barks out. Now no longer in imminent danger of being hit by missile fire, Marissa raises a gloved hand and flicks several switches on the Talon's dash control. A side monitor shows a wire frame image of her Exo-Armour. The wing mounted laser cannons are now blinking green, signaling their newly online status. Quickly getting ac costumed to the surrounding participants in this aerial battle, Marissa sees Snapdragon blast past her Talon towards Jetfire. Taking advantage of their strength in numbers, Marissa angles her Talon around, coming up on the Decepticon triplechanger's tail. Wordlessly manipulating the flight stick, Marissa presses down on the firing stud, sending waves of energy bolts from the two laser cannons streaking towards Snapdragon. Exo-Armour Talon misses Snapdragon with its Laser Barrage - Snapshot attack. From within the hidden Decepticon outpost, a bunch of gumbies watch status displays, radar screens, and tactical data. "Finally, some action," one of them says. "Gets boring in here." Then suddenly, someone exclaims, "It's about to get a lot more exciting... IN AMERICA!" And in swoops a red, white, and blue eagle, who flies towards a weapons console, transforms into tape mode, and neatly fits into a card slot in one of the computers. "No, Americon!" one of the gumbies exclaims, and tries to type commands on a console with identical, unlabeled buttons. "Oh, Primus, he locked us out! He's in complete control of the entire defense system!" "That's right!" Americon says. "Time to show you GUMBIES how an AMERICAN does things!" And Americon's first, terrible act is to have the United States national anthem play through speakers hidden throughout Moscow. "Haha! From America with loathe, you Russian bastards!" Americon cries. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet banks to follow Marissa's Talon as it lines up with Snapdragon. The Apollo waits a few seconds after Marissa opens fire, then unleashes a few blasts of it's own from the two lasers above and on either side of the cockpit canopy. Hopefully creating a large enough web of fire will mean Snapdragon has no chance of dodging. You strike Snapdragon with laser. Shockwave spots the intruders "Foolish Autobots, intruding in our airspace so blatantly. Be gone or be terminated." <> The cyclops moves towards the center of the Autobot formation and aims Marissa who just took a potshot at Snapdragon. Shockwave strikes Exo-Armour Talon Jet with Microwave Blast. Is moving at such an incredible rate, that he almost doesn't register the hit until he spots the...thing...on his radar. 'Did he.....yup...he actually HIT me too! What nerve!' He processes as he banks and actually fires one of his ballistics at the SR-71. who ever heard of a white SR-71....that's just.....stupid. Jetfire misses Snapdragon with its ballistic attack. Missiles suck. They suck even the more so when they're locked on to /you/. Ranger banks and twists, trying to escape the missile lock without letting the missiles hit any buildings between himself and them. Of course, even if he /does/ break the lock, they're still gonna end up /somewhere/. Missiles streaming behind him, he banks back down to the city. Now, /where/ are those defenses positioned? The large jet swings around, preparing to make another firing run at Jetfire, when he is bombarded by laser fire from the smaller exo armours. The first few scattered bolts from the Talon are easy enough to dodge, as Snapdragon lays on the speed, outracing the incoming shots. The next attack strikes home, however, singing a series of black scars into Snapdragon's back. Snapdragon suddenly cuts his engines, and begins to drop like a stone as he dives towards the city below. He avoids the machine gun fire from Jetfire, and transforms into his more compact robot mode. More armo and more maneuverability will certainly come in handy with so many targets shooting him from so many directions. Snapdragon heads upwards, riding his anti-gravs, as he whips out one of his gyro-guns, and fires off a blast of destabilizing energy at Jetfire. Snapdragon transforms into his filthy robot mode. Snapdragon misses Jetfire with his Gyro Guns attack. From Decepticon Tunnel Complex, The US national anthem continues to play through the streets of Moscow, much to the bewilderment of local civilians, who are just trying to flee to shelter. And all over the city, weapons systems come online and begin to fire at people's cars, at walls, at priceless historical landmarks, and even at the Russians themselves. However, the beams are set at a non-lethal power, just enough to burn a crude recreation of the American flag on whatever it hits. The Russians struck in this manner are luckily protected well enough by their clothing (albeit their clothing will be ruined). Eventually Americon seems to remember that he was also supposed to use the defense system against the Autobots and EDC, and so, a statue pivots in place, aims an arm in the direction of Marissa Fairborne's exo-suit, and fires a fist. Yes, the fist flies off at Marissa, like some sort of demented missile. "I always lend my fellow Americans a hand!" Americon says over the PA. "Get it? GET IT!?" Decepticon Tunnel Complex strikes Exo-Armour Talon Jet with punch. Jetfire banks hard and starts to head back towards Snapdragon, but then sees one of the Talons get hit with defenses. 'wonderful....there's defenses here too. Well...looks like I'm gonna hit that instead.' He thinks to himself as he literally screams PAST Snapdragon and focuses his targeting systems on the tunnel complex and the defenses set up......firing off a missile. Jetfire strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Missile. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet engages retro-rockets and then the VTOL systems as Marissa's Exo-Armor is hit. Inside, James grimaces slightly as his systems pinpoint the direction of fire. Shockwave. Gritting his teeth, James hits the transformation control and pulls up alongside in a hasty flanking maneuver. Thrusters on the Apollo's feet and back thrusters fire at low power to keep itself in the air. Both arms raise - the arm bearing the medium-sized autocannon to point directly at Shockwave, and the flexing to rest the hand at the base of the cannon, providing extra support as it unleashes a long stream of tracer rounds! Twisting and shifting, the Apollo transforms into an exo-suit. You strike Shockwave with ballistic. Marissa's laser bolts fall short, but James is able to draw a bead on the amazingly fast jet. Unfortunately with Shockwave here, Faireborn knows full well that they're going to have their hands full. "Faireborn here," she radios. Warning klaxons go off as Shockwave moves upwards towards the Autobots, aiming his arm at her. "Under fir-" the radio briefly crackles out as Shockwave's arm blast rips through the Talon just to the right of the cockpit. The wing was nearly seared off, but the armour plating held as Marissa pushes the flight stick forward, causing her jet to dive underneath Shockwave in an attempt to avoid any further attacks coming her way. Unfortunately, this takes her too close to the city's skyline, and evidently within range of a fist that's launched from a status. Which Russian hero was that? Marissa silently asks herself as the fist clangs off the underside of her jet. From the impact, Marissa judges it to be a God fearing Russian concrete statue. Not one of those fancy sissy French marble statues. Rolling away and diving downwards, Marissa locks onto the offending statue. With (hopefully) pin point accuracy, he tries to obliterate the disguised fist launcher. Exo-Armour Talon strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Laser Barrage - Finesse over Force. Snapdragon watches as the airborne fighter Jetfire streaks by, firing missiles at the expertly-built Decepticon defenses below. Shockwave certainly doesn't need any help with the human above, so Snapdragon dives downward towards Jetfire, hoping the larger Autobot is too busy attacking the defenses to notice him, before it's too late. Snapdragon misses Jetfire with his kick attack. Autobot Shuttle twists and rolls around various weapons embankments, until he can manage to put the following missiles between himself and an emplacement, whereupon he transforms, dropping down to the street below, digging up furrows as he skids to a stop. Question is, are the missiles tracking systems dumb enough to hit their own defenses, or is Ranger just way out of luck? Panels shift at such an incredible speed that they seem to blur and....contract? until the Autobot Ranger stands before you Jetfire Hits his retrorockets JUST in time for Snapdragon to wizz by his cockpit. Anyone with Interception technology hears the curse Jetfire laid out as Snapdragon zoom by his cockpit. Still....he banks and extends twin barrels from the rocket nacelles. Jetfire misses Snapdragon with its gauss attack. Shockwave makes note that his first hit landed right on target but before he can administer another surgical strike to Marissa's exo he gets peppered in the back by a stream of autocannon rounds. He stops in mid-air. Hurray for anti-gravs and maneuverability. His targeting computer locks onto the offending target. "A futile attack human. Prepare to meet the ground at 9.81 meters per second." he says while aiming his 'gun-hand' at Bailey. Shockwave strikes you with Infrared Blast for 10 points of damage. The control center for the Moscow defenses is underground and actually rather secure against attack... unless of course one were to decide to go down there. Or you knew the exact location and dropped a bunker buster on it. Otherwise, well, you'd have to just blow up the defenses on the surface, which is much easier. Jetfire's missile blows up a pack of killer lightposts, and Marissa destroys the statue that attacked her with a laser beam. But as the statue explodes into powder and chunks, Americon just laughs. "Haha, fool! I WANTED to destroy that statue of some famous Russian guy or something! Now feel the wrath of America!" A radio tower on top of a high building suddenly transforms into a huge Tesla coil, and attacks Jetfire with a huge surge of electricity! Decepticon Tunnel Complex misses Jetfire with its electricity attack. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Robot is rocked back in mid-air as the Exo's chest armor is flash-heated, leaving a blackened scar across the torso of the simulated robo-form. Inside, James flicks a glance over his systems displays. "This is gonna be ever quicker than I thought," he muses to himself. But then he takes up the controls again. The Apollo raises it's arm shield belatedly for some protection against further attack, then swivels down the stubby side-mounted head lasers, returning fire. You strike Shockwave with laser. Ranger blinks as the missiles suddenly drop as whatever they use for fuel runs out. Disconcerted, he watches as they fall to the ground, bounce, and roll gently aside. "Uh..." Okay, what now? Well, there are postboxes, lightposts and radio towers and stuff. Ranger hesitates for several moments, then shrugs and starts swinging. Snapdragon reels back as Jetfire fires off shots from a pair of fancy extending barrels. The shells glance off his greasy armor, and Snapdragon lets out a chuckle. Staying quick on his feet -well, his antigravs, at least- Snapdragon flies upwards, and transforms back ino his sleek and speedy jet mode. He angles his nosecone downwards, and dives straight towards Jetfire, his engines screaming as he drops like a rock, flames blasting out of the rear of his large thrusters. Snapdragon heads for the sky as he transforms into a sleek white jet. Snapdragon misses Jetfire with his ram attack. Jetfire actually speeds UP to cause Snapdragon to miss him. Thankfully, he missed by a large margin. So he angles himself around and....once again ignoring Snapdragon....fires off a Disruptor at the american statue.....or whatever. Jetfire strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with disruptor. Faireborn is momentarily free from attack, and she takes full advantage of the situation, performing a swift flyby through the city just beneath the height of the tallest skyscrapers, firing the wing mounted lasers at anything obviously Cybertronian without an Autobot insignia on it. Numerous times she's forced to abandon a strike due to nearby citizens. Although not going terribly quickly, she's forced to rely on the less than perfect biological sensors on board the Talon, as there's no way she can tell if humans are nearby in time visually. <> The Talon loses altitude as Marissa drops down lower. Her speed cuts dramatically as she bursts out into a Moscow park area about the size of a small city block. This is where businessmen come to enjoy their lunches. It is very popular with dog walkers as well. But right now it's full of laser park benches, acid cannon drinking fountains, and one rather perverted looking missile lamp post. Just before the Talon's speed drops to where one would expect it to stall, Marissa activates the suit's transformation program. Two heavily armoured feet hit the concrete pathway that meanders through the park. The Colonel attempts to annihilate what she can, firing her now arm-mounted lasers at the vicious water fountain. Twisting and shifting, the Talon exo-jet transforms into an exo-suit. Exo-Armour Talon misses Decepticon Tunnel Complex with its Arm Lasers - Parks & Recreation Cleanup Services attack. Shockwave gets tied up in a shooting exchange with one of the terrans in particular. Seems this one is bent on trying to make an issue of the thing. "You terrans often confuse courage and stupidity. Mathematicly you cannot win this fight, prolonging it only serves to reduce your odds of surviving. Logic dictates that you disarm and surrender." With a rather sudden change of plan, the cyclops dashes towards the exo hoping to rock it's frame with a solid punch. Terrans are all brave when shooting each other from far but when they feel their little protective shell being peeled away and hammered at it's a different perspective. Shockwave strikes you with Right Cross for 9 points of damage. Snapdragon emits a strangled snarl as he misses Jetfire yet again, although it is barely audible underneath the roar of his engines. Snapdragon swings around for another attack. Again, Snapdragon dives towards Jetfire in an effort to get the Autobot air guardian to pay attention to him. Snapdragon pull up at the last moment, and sprays a blast of flames from his afterburners towards Jetfire. Snapdragon misses Jetfire with his fire attack. banking away from the american statue, Hetfire also seems to bank away from a Snapdragon attack. So he turns back as Snapdragon zooms by.....and decides to try a little toy he developed on Cybertron. Jetfire misses Snapdragon with its special attack. The Russian fist-launching statue was already pretty much destroyed, but Jetfire's disruptor really seals the deal by blowing up the base it stood on, too. "I see you hate Russian art almost as much as I do!" Americon says over the PA system. "That is very good!" Nearby, a billboard, which inexplicably features a laser cannon painted on it, fires a laser from a cannon hidden on the other side of the billboard. Elswhere, lampposts bob and weave as they try to avoid Ranger's punches, mailboxes hop around to dodge him, and in return, every time Ranger turns his back on some of the defenses they jump him, with lampposts bending over until they might smack him on the head and mailboxes trying to bite his fingers. The acid fountain tilts to the left as Marissa fires at it, some of its acid splashing to the side. In retaliation, the fountain tosses the remainder of its acid at her, as well as some bird skeletons (they tried to take a bath in there). The laser park benches rear up on their front legs and provide covering fire from cannons hidden in their rear legs. A lamppost fires lasers at Bailey, too, so that he doesn't feel left out. Decepticon Tunnel Complex unleashes its area_ranged attack on Exo-Armour Talon , Ranger, Jetfire and Exo-Jet Apollo Class , striking Ranger and Exo-Armour Talon . Exo-Jet Apollo Class Robot is sent tumbling end-over-end through the air before computerized gyro systems come online, fire the various maneuvering rockets in synchronized bursts to stabilize the Exo-Armor's flight again. Inside, James lets out an involuntary grunt as the blood rushes to his head and then slowly flows back to where it was supposed to be. Although the blow made a nice medium-sized dent in his Exo-armor, it also sent him back out of close combat range. He flicks on his Exo's external emitters. "It's not courage, Decepticon. I've just got a job to do." The Apollo's head lasers fire again, but this time in alternating bursts that reduce the total volume of fire (and power consumption) from the attack. You strike Shockwave with Disruptor. Snapdragon banks sharply to the left, and then pulls up sharply, exerting enough g-forces to maim or kill a human pilot, if he had one... The large jet is not built to make such sharp turns, and the strain brings up red warnings on Snapdragons HUD, which he ignores. He lines up Jetfire in his sights once more, and lets off a pair of heavy missiles towards the speedy Autobot flyer. Snapdragon misses Jetfire with his missile attack. Jetfire banks sharply to evade Snapdragon's missile attack.....they seem to be pretty evenly matched at the moment....but....well...he banks towards Shockwave and rather than have the terrans beaten out of their mechs, he fires his toy at Shockwave....got have it tested successfully after all. Jetfire strikes Shockwave with its special attack. Ranger cries out as previously inanimate objects assail him from all sides. Staggering, he draws his laser and fires it in a sweeping arc, aiming at everything and nothing. Marissa Faireborn is a socially conscious citizen of the United States. She tries to attend city hall meetings and is quite good at keeping up to date with the issues in her neighborhood. But the next time some asshole tries to convince her that the Department of Parks & Wildlife needs more funding so they can build more parks, she's going to deck them one. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," Marissa complains as the drinking fountain tilts away from the laser blast. The fountain sprays acid at her, scorching her combat armour's already minimalist paint job. The bird skeletons are more creepy than dangerous. "That's disgusting," she says out loud, although the mastermind of this defensive complex will never know about the compliment. But then again, Hook probably already knows how great it is. Moving in the bulky combat suit, Marissa jumps backwards, using the jump jets to get out of the way of the park bench laser fire. With one hand aimed at the fountain and one at the benches, Marissa cuts loose with a wide spray of red energy bolts. Exo-Armour Talon strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Arm Lasers - Full Auto. Shockwave raises his hand to protect his optic from Bailey's return fire then charges again this time with a very precise plan in mind. However the plan is ruined by disrupting attack from Jetfire. <> The processor has trouble keeping pace for the moment. Ranger strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Flashligh- er, Laser. Snapdragon is getting quite fed up with Jetfire's dodginess, and the huge amounts of fuel he's being forced to expend to try and hit the speedy Autobot spacecraft. Snapdragon heads for the sky, and takes off for the Argosy, to go and soak in his oil bath for a few days instead. Snapdragon begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Jetfire. From Decepticon Tunnel Complex, Patriotic Cassette cries, "NO! YOU KILLED MR. FOUNTAIN!" as Marissa explodes the acid fountain (and several of its bench friends). Ranger also shoots some of the defenses, and lampposts fall over like trees that have been chopped down. And then, a horrible surprise for Marissa! A waste dump sneaks up on her, opens its maw, and leaps at her, "mouth" first, trying to trap her within its garbagey interior! Decepticon Tunnel Complex misses Exo-Armour Talon Robot with its special attack. Exo-Armour Talon Robot stands up straighter as the water fountain and park benches shatter. Her the HUD on her flight helmet's visor begins showing energy spikes elsewhere, consistant with a large barrage of Autobot weaponsfire. The Talon's vision telescopes as Marissa looks over at Ranger, who's blazing away at everything. "Always got to watch the nice ones," Marissa reminds herself. "They're the ones who'll snap and go crazy." Raising her voice, she shouts at Raptor, "You're doing good! Come on, we're running out of defences to fight! Lets put these things do- argh!" Marissa stumbles as a trash bin leaps at her from behind. Damn this sneaky park! Marissa twists around, raising the Talon's arms and trying to keep the trash bin's 'mouth' open with all of her strength, stopping it from biting down and consuming her. She doesn't know what would happen if a trash bin ate her, but she doesn't want to know. Grunting from the exertion, Marissa tries to wrestle with the thing even as she brings her knee up, trying to slam it into the underside of the bin. Exo-Armour Talon strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with kick. Ranger continues to fire bursts from his rifle, while at the same time, he snatches his staff from it's mounting and, extending it, sweeps it around himself, trying to keep the myriad, wretched defenses away from himself. Ranger misses Decepticon Tunnel Complex with his definitely blunt Staff attack. Jetfire slows down to a 'reasonable' speed or lands, and transforms into his robot mode. Jetfire lands pretty quickly as Shockwave and Snapdragon attack....and starts firing on the defenses Jetfire strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with pistol. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Robot lets out a pent-up breath he hadn't realized he was holding as Jetfire causes Shockwave to momentarily break off his attack (yeah yeah, so it was a long time ago). Trying to make the most of the opportunity, he hits the transformation control again and then slams the throttle forward, blazing his modified Talon's oversized engines and instantly getting back to high speeds. As the altimiter records practically goes crazy with rapid altitude gain, James tries to pick up Snapdragon's aerial form on radar, but then he notices and paint it with a targeting lock. Maybe switching Decepticons will help them? Er...but Snapdragon is nowhere to be seen. So he comes around again and lines up Shockwave in his targeting sights. Looks like that Decepticon has gone to ground as well. Finally, this time he pops open a weapons bay on the Talon's underside, revealing a brace of medium-range air-to ground rockets. Twisting and shifting, the Apollo transforms into an exo-jet. You strike Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Rocket. From Decepticon Tunnel Complex, The garbage bin makes a sad groan as Marissa dents it inward, and falls over onto its back. A little Russian boy crawls out of the open hatch and runs away, shrieking. Apparently Marissa freed him! Ranger attempts to attack the mailboxes with his staff, but they expertly duck and dodge his swings. Nimble little guys, ain't they? Jetfire's laser makes an evil billboard catch on fire, and Bailey's rockets tear a swatch of destruction through the streets. Countless evil defenses are blown to bits. "It'll take more than that to stop a true American!" Americon says over the PA. "Here, let me show you what a beating really feels like!" A tree in the park suddenly falls over, trying to land on Marissa, the mailboxes swarm Ranger, moths snapping, and a car explodes near Jetfire. Even Bailey, up in the air, isn't safe, as somehow an entire toilet is launched at his exo at high velocities! Decepticon Tunnel Complex unleashes its area_melee attack on Exo-Jet Apollo Class , Exo-Armour Talon , Ranger and Jetfire, striking Ranger and Exo-Armour Talon . Jetfire fires his retrorockets as he nears the ground and....apparently stops just in time before the car explodes. Once that happens....he fires a gauss round at the PA system....or....something. Jetfire strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Gauss. Faireborn grimaces as she tosses the trash bin away from her. Although it's hidden both behind her helmet and the Talon combat suit itself, she blinks at the little Russian boy that jumps out and runs away. "Sorry," she calls out in Russian to the fleeing lad. When you're in the EDC, you learn how to apologize in a multitude of languages. The Colonel hopes she didn't accidentally hurt the kid in her scuffle with the bin. Marissa gives the park another glance. Destroyed park benches, drinking fountains, and now a trash bin litter the area. Typical EDC work when it comes to destroying the surroundings, but in this case it's all on purpose. Faireborn takes several steps forward, preparing to launch back up into the air when unexpectedly, a large park tree bends and flattens her beneath its leafy goodness. On her back and pinned by the tree, Marissa closes her eyes. "This is not my day," she mutters as she tries to shove the attacking tree off her. Exo-Armour Talon misses Decepticon Tunnel Complex with its Shove attack. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Jet swerves aside as the flying toilet goes by. Then it swoops down low, just above street level. It heads straight at Marissa's Talon and the amorous tree, shifting into robot mode at the last second so that it's charging straight at the tree, arm-shield braced to absorb the impact. Twisting and shifting, the Apollo transforms into an exo-suit. Decepticon Tunnel Complex evades your Mecha-shield bash attack. Jetfire turns and starts firing rounds into the tree to get it off of Marissa. Jetfire strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with pistol. Ranger stumbles as the mailboxes strike, falling to one knee as several of the 'mouths' fasten onto him. Impulsively, he transforms, blasting upwards, away from, and /through/ the surrounding defenses, no matter what manner of bizarre system they may be, mailbox, lamppost or tree. Panels shift at such an incredible speed that they seem to blur and....expand? until a large transport rests before you. Ranger strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Outta here!. From Decepticon Tunnel Complex, Also, meanwhile, the Deceptigumbies in the control center run around, panicking, arms windmilling. "OH PRIMUS WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" they scream. Only one has gathered his senses enough to try and pry Americon out of his data slot with a crowbar. "Get out you little retard!" ZZT! A security turret zaps the gumby, and he falls over, smoking! "Shut up, fool!" Americon snaps. "I am an American, and I know what I am doing! This is just like the battle of 1812, where we kicked the British out of Washington... oh, wait. Well, we still beat them, that's what's important!" The EDC struggles valiantly to fight off the tree, but it is too heavy, tough, and has a solid core of steel, to boot. They do manage to roll it around a bit. As for Ranger, the mailboxes shriek shrilly as they fall away to the ground, hundreds of feet down. Jetfire's missiles explodes the PA system that he was firing at... and a significant portion of the building it was attached to. But that's ok, because the building was actually a heavy plasma platform! The front of the building falls away, revealing a huge cannon which fires blazing hot green energy at Jetfire. Decepticon Tunnel Complex misses Jetfire with its plasma attack. Marissa grunts. The Talon's hydraulics just aren't enough to dislodge the tree. She felt it was close, as it rolled a touch, but not neough. This is embarassing. Worse, even with Bailey's help it isn't enough. "Not one word about this when we get back to base, Bailey!" Marissa orders. The Colonel struggles to try and work an arm free, managing to awkwardly point her left arm mounted laser cannon more or less at the tree trunk. She closes her eyes and pulls the trigger, hoping this doesn't blow off her leg along with the tree. Exo-Armour Talon misses Decepticon Tunnel Complex with its disruptor attack. James Bailey grates out, "I wouldn't tell this story to anybody, Colonel." He manipulates the controls on his exo, causing it to place the gunbarrel of the Autocannon right against the offending tree. Then, thinking about it, he moves it so that it's a few feet back. But still point-blank rank. Then he triggers the weapon! You strike Decepticon Tunnel Complex with ballistic. From Decepticon Tunnel Complex, Patriotic Cassette pops out of the control console, and immediately transforms into bald eagle mode. "Well, that was fun, but I think I'll be going now! Bye everyone!" He flies out of a small, secret tunnel, sized just right for cassetticons even as the gumbies flee for their lives out the main hatch. "RUN AWAY!" they scream. Autobot Shuttle veers back downwards, mildly relishing the sight of the mailboxes falling helplessly back to earth (now there's a sight no one'd expect to see). Slowing his speed to levels that /won't/ wreak mass destruction on the humans, mach+ speeds can do that y'know, he weaves through the streets, plotting his course to plow through what defenses he can. Ranger strikes Decepticon Tunnel Complex with Smash, bang and kapow!. Decepticon Tunnel Complex is deactivated under the fierce barrage of attacks. Americon leaves the Decepticon Tunnel Complex. Americon has arrived. Exo-Armour Talon Robot gets back up, brushing remaining leaves and branches off itself. Marissa raises a heavy gauntlet to her helmet and holds her head. "Thanks," she tells Bailey. With her free hand, she scans the area, tracking for any additional attacks from the city itself. None seems to be coming. Still, the Colonel is wary. "Call it in, James. I want a squadron here patrolling the streets and skies, and a bomb squad searching for every last booby trap that they might have left here." Marissa gives the remains of the tree a swift kick out of annoyance. "But beyond that... I think Moscow might just be ours again!" Marissa looks upwards, squinting at Ranger. Marissa honestly didn't think the Autobot had it in him. Patriotic Cassette flies up into the skies over Moscow, crying out shrilly. Down below, the streets of Moscow are a complete mess. Benches, lampposts, billboards, buildings, mailboxes, park benches... they're all in pieces scattered everywhere. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Robot raises the autocannon arm, and holds it up in front of the Exo's head unit so that it can mime blowing smoke away from the gunbarrel. The external emitters click on. "You got it, Colonel." The Apollo takes a few steps down the street and starts scanning. Then it stops, and turns back to face Marissa's Exo-Armor again. "Not bad for your first time in a Talon, Colonel." "First combat action, anyway," Marissa replies. She tries to pick some of the sticks that have gotten lodged in the combat suit's joints, but the Talon's hands don't have the dexterity for such fine manipulation. "Still..." the Colonel considers, gazing out at the ruined traps in the park and surrounding city area. "Not bad at all. I didn't rate our chances very good when Shockwave showed up on our radar." Neither did Ranger, hell, he's /still/ doesn't think he has it in him. This must be some sort of trick. Yeah, that's right, lulling him into a false sense of security. Cautiously, he slows, circling towards Marissa and Bailey, once he is near, he transforms, dropping to the ground and landing nimbly on his feet. Once down, he backs towards the EDC members, tracking his rifle back and forth in case of further attack. Panels shift at such an incredible speed that they seem to blur and....contract? until the Autobot Ranger stands before you Patriotic Cassette perches on top of a tall building and sternly looks down upon the invaders. Marissa finds herself looking at every day objects with suspicion now. The park's sprinkler system? Could be a laser battery. The sign that says to not walk in the grass in Russian? Could be a sign that enforces that rule with acid pellets. Still, when Raptor touches down, the Colonel gives the mech a curt military nod. "Glad you were with us, Ranger. I have to admit I didn't think we'd get so far over our heads with the Decepticon defences. Can you speak with Autobot Command and have them start stationing soldiers here?" Marissa isn't the only one who's suspicious, in fact, Ranger almost jumps when Marissa addresses him, that's how wound up he is. His optics flicker for a moment at her question, then he nods, raising one hand to tap the side of his head. "I can let them know what's happened, reinforcements are up to them." Americon's robot legs pop out metallic feather-like objects as they and his lower torso split apart, also revealing an eagle head. The arms and robot head join the main body, and his guns convert into tail feathers and rocket launchers. Americon is now a bald eagle! Colonel Marissa Faireborn says, "Colonel Faireborn reporting. The bulk of the Decepticon automated defences have been destroyed and the city is marginally under our control." Ranger lowers his hand back to his rifle, "Magnus reports that additional forces are en route," he adds tersely. He's still suspicious of those surroundings. Exo-Jet Apollo Class Robot marches slowly down a nearby city street, carefully scanning the remains of the Decepticon defenses. Instead of trying to figure out what seemingly innocent objects might be defenses, it seems to be studying the already revealed mechanisms and weapons systems. Inside, James makes quick notes on a tiny screen to one side of his cockpit, trying to analyze how the defenses are powered and controlled and how best to recognize new ones. Ranger stiffens, straightening up as he recieves more transmissinos over his internal comms. One hand half-raises to his head as he frowns worriedly. Faireborn nods at Ranger. "Thank you." She watches as Bailey inspects the remains of some of the destroyed defences. "Well done, Corporal. Once our relief force arrives we can head back to base." Marissa's Talon is sporting numerous patches of damage, ranging from acid burns to one of the shoulder wings being nearly blasted off. The injury to her pride at the hands of that tree are hidden from sight, however. One of the billboards, featuring a smiling supermodel, seems to be... watching the gathering? Yes, the eyes are definitely tracking them... Exo-Armour Talon says, "Cursed supermodels!" Ranger says, "See, were I human, I'd notice that, 'cause I'm a guy. But being an asexual robot... ;)" Exo-Armour Talon is straight, so unless that supermodel was male, it's all up to James. Ranger holds on hand out in Marissa's general direction, "I'm getting other reports. Something to do with Galvatron, Spike and Briar are involved somehow. Transmissions aren't clear..." James Bailey, luckily, can oggle any innappropriate images he pleases within the confines of his Exo-Armor. He does indeed notice what looks like moving eyes on the supermodel billboard...but does he dare call attention to it, and reveal that he was staring THERE instead of at the Decepticon defense system like he was supposed to?? James isn't sure whether he can take the risk...and when he looks again, he doesn't see the eyes this time. Maybe it was his imagination all along? Yeah...yeah, that must be it. Over the Apollo's external emitter he says, "Looks like all of the remaining defenses are shut down, Colonel. We must have hit a main power conduit." The billboard's eyes narrow evilly. Marissa certainly doesn't seem to notice the billboard. First addressing Ranger, Marissa says, "Yes, we're getting reports as well. The General is apparently invovled, and it does not appear to be going as well as our assignment is." The Colonel is about to agree with James and tell him that the bomb squad will figure out where the rest of the traps are placed when orders come in concerning the other battle. "Sorry gentlemen," she says in a rushed tone, "the General appears to be in trouble. I'm being recalled back to our European HQ to help prep for his arrival." She doesn't bother mentioning that it's actually a matter of 'if' he arrives in one piece or not. Ranger nods sharply. "Of course, you must do whatever you can. I just wish I could help..." He trails off, glowering, before continuing "I'll hold on here until our forces arrive. Good Luck." Reports Message: 9/15 Posted Author Moscow Back Under Allied Control Tue May 20 Scrapper ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MOSCOW BACK UNDER ALLIED CONTROL MOSCOW - In a pitched skirmish in the skies over Moscow, Earth Defence Command and Autobot forces have cleared out the "Decepticon presence" in Moscow early last evening. The joint strike squadron consisted of four aerial allied units, though an EDC official declined commenting on which specific soldiers were involved. Earth Defence Command cautions all Russian citizens to be on the lookout for remaining Decepticon booby traps, citing a number of weapons built by the Decepticons and transformed to resemble common objects found in a city. Local residents noted missile launchers disguised as telephone poles, acid sprayers as drinking fountains, and laser cannons as park benches, among other various traps. Several witnesses noted that during the brief Decepticon occupation, the Constructicons would routinely tear down normal objects, only to build in their place a weaponized version. Colonel Faireborn was quoted as saying that bomb and scanner squads would be searching for any dangerous devices that might have been left behind, and the Kup promised that Autobot forces would be stationed in the city to help against Decepticon retaliation. He then asked that all reporters "get off his damn lawn."